Guide pin apparatus for die sets



VApril 21, 1959 v. WHISTLER, SR., ET AL 2,883,243

Y GUIDE PI-N APPARATUS FOR DIE SETS Filed sept. 21, 1955 4 shetS-sheet 1 L. V. wHlsfLER, SR., x-:T'AL` 2,883,243 Y GUIDE PIN APPARATUS FOR DIS SETS April 21, 14959 4 sheets-sheet 2A Filed Sept.' 21. 1955 April 21, 1959 L. V. WH'ISTLER, SR., ETAL 2,883,243

GUIDE PIN APPARATUS PoR um SETS April 21, 1959 1 .l v. wHlsTLER, SR., ETAL 2,883,243

GUIDE PIN APPARATUS FOR' Dn: SETS Filed sept. 21, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TORS n @Mm my 0, .1mm MMM hi WM Vf `Tm l LM Y B,

United States Patent GUIDE PIN APPARATUS FOR DIE SETS Lawrence V. Whistler, Sr.,` and LawrenceV. Whistler, Jr., Kenmore, N.Y.

Application september 2r, 195s, serial-N0. s355594 12 Claims. (el. 30s- 5) This invention relates to` punching mechanism and more particularly to means for guiding the movement relatively of the ram member and bed member of a dieset to which punch and die members are respectively secured; such means usually consisting of guide bushings xedly mounted in one of said members and guide posts or pins secured to the other member and guided for movement reciprocally in said bushings.

Although this invention is designed for use in any type of stamping or punching apparatus, it is particularly designed for use in high-speed and precision die-sets which are capable of executing a high number of strokes or cycles of movement per minute to perforate, notch or otherwise stamp sheet metal or like material.

Die-sets of the conventional type, of which there are many different makes available, have punch and dieholding carriers relatively movable under operation of a stamping or punching press, in which said punch and die-holding carriers are guided in` their movements relatively by slidable guide posts or pins carried by one of said carriers and reciprocally interlitted with bushings secured `in the other of said carriers. Invariably such guide posts or pins and their co-acting bushings. are constructed of like metals, or even different metals having a tendency to heat up under operation, and thus create friction, causing the posts or pins andthe bushings to seize each other and in many instances become scored as a result of the heat caused by friction and dust', dirt, and metallic particles adhering to the same.

lt is Well known that steel and other metals usually employed for such guiding elements have a tendency to adhere to each other even When in contact` in superimposed relation Without movement relatively or the application of pressure; in consequence of whicht such metals when used as the guiding means of the movable part of a dieset, especially when supporting or carrying punches, or dies, operate under strain so as to cause undue friction when operated beyond a given number of strokesapproaching what is generally referred to as highspeed operation.

The primary object of` the present inventionis to employ for the guiding means of the die-set or other stamping apparatus, dissimilar metals, by which term yis meant metals which have no frictional aflinity for each other, so that the die-set or other stamping` apparatus can be` operated at high-speed without the. guide postsV or pins and their bushings becoming overheated.

Another object of the present inventionis to completely seal and enclose the guide posts or pins and their respective guide bushings so as to exclude ally dust,` dirt and metallic particles. The metallic particlesy that usually become loosened from the guide posts or pins and their guidingzbushings when` using similarl metals forsuch parts are substantially eliminated by the use of dissimilar metals for the guideposts; or pins andthe guidebushings,

as indicated above. The guide posts or pins are prefer-` ably constructed of Nitralloy and the guide-bushings of Meehanite, which are metals having. no frictional` ainity 2,883,243 Patented Apr. 21, 1959 ICC for each other, and therefore fall clearly Within the term dissimilar metals asherein specied. These metals may be reversed and the bushings of the guiding means constructed of Nitralloy while` the guide posts or pins are formed of Meehanite.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for effectively lubricating the exterior surfaces of the guide posts or pins and the interior surfaces of the guidepost bushings and to this end each guide post or pin is provided with an oil reservoir, preferably axially disposed therein and having oil ducts leading therefrom to the contacting surfaces of the guide pins and' bushings to properly lubricate both the posts and-the bushings.

A furtherobject of the invention is to seal one of the ends of each guide-pin bushing so that during portions ofi the relative movements of the pins and bushings during which the guide pins are subjected to a Withdrawal or suction action or relation to the bushings, no outside dust-contaminated air is drawn onto the guide pins or into thel bushings and to aidin such operation the guide pins are completely sealed with a shield or filtering element.

A further object" is to provide eacli ofl the guide-pin bushings? With a series of air ducts or passages parallel to theaxes thereof which extend along the entire length of the bushings and are connected together at the sealed end of each bushing so4 that there is no `compression nor vacuuml created Wherr the die set is operated. The pas# sages or ducts" effect-a'- cooling action on the pins or posts and the bushings,` utilizing clean air and excluding the surrounding dust, dirt; or other foreign particles that are always present in" atproduction plant. p p

In1 a preferred form ofthe inventioneach of the` guide posts or pins is provided axially with an oily Well or reservoir connected with a source of oil supply', including an oil-feeding tube,` all associated vvitlil a collapsible shield surrounding each guide pinl andl its associated bushing so as to allow the distribution of oil Without disturbing the shield, which*- may be made of plastic,` neoprene, cloth, or other suitable material fashioned into tubular form and collapsible and` extensible inthenature of an accordion; or-otlierwise. To produce such effect, oneend" of the tubular shield issecuredltlothe guide-pinbushing and the*` other end to the immovable or bed member of the die sett orother stamping apparatus.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a filtering device which will allow the guiding means to breatlieland supply the amount of? air required to over comevacuum or'compressionbetween the guide pins and' the guideipin bushings Without admitting foreign particlesjor matter.

Other objects ofthe present inventionwill appear hereinafter and be apparentf from the description to follow andl the illustrated embodiments of the accompanying drawings, and other embodiments which fall Within the scope of the appended'claim's.

ln the *dratvings Fig. 1 `is a front elevati/onlof aldieset embodying one form ofthe present invention;

Fig. 2`is a-topplanviewiofthe die set of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross section taken as indicatedl by the line 31-3of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4'i`s a` detached perspectiveview of the dust shield"V 3 improved guiding means taken on a scale somewhat reduced from Fig. 5, the guide post and its associated bushing being in somewhat extended position, as occurs under separating movement of the punch and die carriers;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the parts of the guiding means in a more collapsed position;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal cross section taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a vertical cross section similar to Fig. 7 showing a further embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 1l is a similar view with the guiding means partly collapsed; and

Fig. 12 is a horizontal cross section taken on line 12--12 of Fig. l0.

Referring to Figs. 1 through 6 of the drawings, the reference numeral 13 designates a die set of the conventional type having a bed member or die shoe 14, with which is reciprocally associated a ram member or punch holder 15.

The bed member 14 is provided at opposite ends with slotted ears 16, through the slots of which bolts (not shown) are passed and fastened into the bed member of a stamping or punch press.

Secured in the bed member 14 and extending upwardly therefrom are guide posts or pins 17, which in the present instance are located at the rear corners of the bed member 14, as clearly shown in Fig. 2; but as die sets are designed for various purposes and in many arrangements, these guide posts or pins may `be otherwise located on the bed member or die shoe.

The ram member or punch holder 15 conforms generally in outline to the bed member or die shoe and has at its rear corners, pin or guide post bushings 18 which are fastened in the ram member or punch holder in any approved manner. To facilitate the proper functioning of the invention the bushings 18 preferably extend downwardly below the under-face of the ram member or punch holder a distance greater than the bushings of conventional die sets for purposes made apparent hereinafter. The bushings 18 slidably receive the guide posts or pins 17 which extend upwardly from the bed member or die shoe 14.

The punch holder 15 is secured to the ram of the stamping apparatus or punch press in any approved manner and is movable therewith so that when the ram memrber of the press is reciprocated, the punch holder 15 reciprocates with the same, utilizing the guide posts or pins 17 as cooperating guide elements to assure direct vertical movement of the punch holder without the possibility of lateral play.

As shown, the lower ends of the guide posts or pins are fastened into the die shoe 14 by a drive lit and each of the guide posts is axially bored to form an oil reservoir 19 which is closed at the bottom by a screw plug 20. In the upper end of each 1guide post bushing 18 there is an air chamber 22 which communicates freely with the space below such bushing by Way of longitudinal passages or ducts 23 formed in the bushings. An air vent opening 21 in each guide pin 17 connects between oil reservoir 19 and the air chamber 22.

The upper end of each bushing 18 is secured in any approved manner within the punch holder 15. The guide posts or pins 17 have radial oil ducts 25 leading from the oil reservoir 19 to the inner surfaces of the guide post bushings 18.

The air chamber 22 is closed at the top of each bushing by a closure disc 26 threaded into the bushing.

Secured to the lower extremity of the guide post bushing 18 is the upper end of an accordion-like tubular shield 27, and for this purpose the exterior of the bushings are annularly grooved near their lower ends as at 28. Surrounding said ends, including annular groove 28 formed in each bushing, is the upper end of the shield 27 which is held in place by means of a snap ring 29 entering said groove with the material forming said tubular shield clamped in said groove. This tubular shield extends downwardly fromr the lower end of the bushing 18 and its lower end extends over the upper end of a sleeve 30 extending upwardly from the die shoe 14. Said sleeve has an outwardly directed flange 31 at its lower end, through which screws 32 are passed to enter the die shoe 14 and fasten the sleeve thereto.

The upper end of this sleeve is provided with an annular external groove 33 and fitted over the open upper end of said sleeve is the open lower end of the shield 27 so that it may enter the annular groove 33 in said sleeve and be retained by means of a snap ring 34. In this manner the shield surrounds the portion of the guide post extending downwardly beneath the lower end of the guide bushing 18 and seals the guide post, as well as the lower projecting end of the bushing. As the punch holder 15 is reciprocated with its bushing, the accordionlike shield 27 may expand and contract axially, as required, without in any manner allowing the admission of dust, dirt or any foreign particles to the guide post or pin or the interior of the guide-pin bushing.

In the modtications of our invention shown in Figs. 7 through l2, oil ducts 25 are also drilled through the wall of each of the guide posts or pins 17 at different levels or elevations of the reservoir 19 therein and these ducts connect the interior of the guide posts or pins with the interior surface of the guide post bushings and thus feed and distribute a lubricant to -both the exterior of the guide a posts or pins and the interior of the bushings, assuring freedom under reciprocating movement when thus constructing the guiding means and forming the guide posts or pins of Meehanite and the guide bushings of Nit-ralloy or utilizing other metals or alloys having no frictional affinity for each other.

The die set or other punching or stamping apparatus to which our invention is applied may be operated at extremely high speed with assurance of perfectly vertical reciprooation and elimination of wear to which the die sets of present day construction lare subjected.

' end provided with a pivoted lid 38 which may be opened or closed for adding oil or other lubricant to the reservoirs 19 in the guide pins or posts; the lid being preferably closed under normal working conditions. Said pipe or duct 35 has its lower end passed through an opening formed in the sleeve 30 and surrounding said oil supply pipe or duct is a grommet seal 39 which is expanded in said opening and rmly compressed around the tube or duct 35 so as to prevent the passage of dust, dirt or other foreign matter to the interior of said sleeve and to the space surrounding the guide post where the latter projects downwardly or outwardly from the guide Ibushings. It will =be seen that gravity ow will cause the lubricant within the guide pin structure to assume the same level as the oil in the reservoir 37.

The said sleeve 30 Iand the collapsible fand extensible shield 27 serve as a circular wall extending downwardly from the lower end of the guide post 'bushing to the bed member or die shoe 14.

While we have shown snap rings to secure opposite ends of the cylindrical shield 27 to the guide bushing 'and bed member or die shoe, the latter through the medium of the sleeve 30, other means of fastening the shield to such parts may 'be employed in many instances without eifecting the free operation of the improved guiding means.

With the oil tube or duct applied in the manner above described, the oil may be delivered thereinto lwithout disturbing the shield 27. The shield 27 may be changed from time to time by removing the snap rings which provide an easy means of connecting and disconnecting the ends of the shield to relatively movable parts of the structure. Should there Ibe an excess of compressed air, or lack of air causing a vacuum, the filter sleeve will allow the apparatus to breathe `and supply whatever amount of air is required to overcome vacuum or compression fand in this respect the ducts or passages 23 in the pin or post bushings come into full play. In` the form shown in Figs. l through 6 the shield 27 is preferably of a foraminous material such as woven fabric or the like to serve as an air filtering medium.

In the modifications of the invention illustrated in Figs. 7 through l2, the -bed member or die carrier, which at times we refer to as the lower tool carrier or die shoe, is designated by the` numeral 14 as in the first modification while the ram member or punch holder or upper tool carrier is designatedy by the numeral 15. In these modifications the positions of the guide posts or pins `and the Ibushings are reversed from that illustrated in the preceding figures, the guide posts or pins being designated 47 'and secured at their upper 4ends in the ram member or punch holder 15 and the pin or guide post `bushings being designated 48 and fastened firmly within the bed member or die shoe 14 and extending upwardly therefrom to receive the guide posts. or pins 47 therein. In these embodiments of our invention, we have omitted the cooling vents shown in the preceding figures.

Under relative movement of the ram member or punch holder 15 away from the bed member or die shoe 14 the guide posts or pins, 47 are moved outwardly from their coacting bushings,` as. shown in Fig. 7- and during the movement of said ram member or punch holder 15 downwardly, the. guide posts or pins fastened' thereto will be moved downwardly in the guide-post bushings, as clearly shown in Fig. 8.

Referring particularly to the embodiment of Figs. 7, 8 and 9, a rigid sleeve member 50 is fixed to the upper surface of die shoe 14 surrounding guide pin bushing 48` and a coaxial telescoping rigid sleeve 51 is fixed to punch holder 15 to fit loosely within sleeve 50 as" shown in Figs. 7 and 8. A flexible bellows type of sleeve 52 of aporous material which may be of accordion pleated construction such as isV well-knowny in` the mechanical arts is detachably clamped at its upper end to inner sleeve member 51 as at 54 and is detachably clamped at its lower -end to outer sleeve member 50 as at 55.

The lower end of the opening in guide pin bushing 48 is closed by a plug 56 and radiating openings 57 in the bushing wall establish free fluid communication between the otherwise closed space in the bushing and the space surrounding the same which is closed to a dirtfree or dust-free extent by the flexible sleeve 52 but is free to breathe therethrough by reason of the porous nature of such sleeve.

Lubrication of the bearing surfaces of guide pins 47 and bushings 48 is effected by means of an axial oil reservoir 60 formed in each of the guide pins 47 and radiating passages 61 which lead outwardly from reservoir 60 to the bearing walls. The supply of oil in reservoir 60 is replenished by means of a filter device 63.

In the embodiment of Figs. through l2 'a sleeve member 70 fixed to die shoe 14 surrounds guide pin 47 and bushing 48 and an inner telescoping sleeve 71 atcached to punch holder lits therein as in the embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8. In the embodiment of Figs. 10 through l2 telescoping sleeve 70 is provided with a number of openings in its cylindrical wall surface and an outer coaxial sleeve 74 is likewise so perforated. An intervening hollow cylindrical body of filter material 75 is disposed between sleeves 70 and 74, through which filter material air may pass from outside of the guide pin and bushing enclosing means to the space within the same during relative reciprocation of the die shoe and punch holder. p

A flexible accordion pleated type of sleeve 77 is detachably secured to inner sleeve 71 and louter sleeve 70 at its opposite ends as at 78 and 79, respectively, generally as in the embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8. In this embodiment the flexible and collapsible` sleeve 77 is preferably of an impervious nature so that the breathing `occasioned by reciprocatio-n of the parts takes place through the filter body 75.

Lubrication is effected as in the embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8 by way of a filler pipe 81, an oil reservoir 82 in each guide pin 47, and radiating oil fluid passages 83.

Under the term metals we include alloys of metals and where in the claims the term metals is not specifically employed the claims are drawn to structure and combination of parts.

What is claimed is:

l. In a punch and die` mechanism, a bed member serving as a die holder, a ram member serving as'` a punch holder, guide post bushings fastened in said :ram mem ber and projecting downwardly therefrom, guide posts slidable in said bushing and fastened in said bed member, said guide posts being lengthwise bored to form oilv reservoirs their inclosed at the bottom and having an air vent at the top, said guide posts extending upwardly from said die holder, an air chamber formed in said punch holder into which said air vent opens, air 'ducts arranged lengthwise in said bushings at intervals around said oil reservoirs opening at their upper ends into said air chamber and being open at their lower ends, said guide posts having oil ducts leading `from the oil reservoirs therein to the exterior surface thereof so as to lubricate the ex terior surface of saidI guide posts and simultaneously lubricate the inner wall surfaces of said guide pin bushings, and means to keep the oil within said guide posts ata constant level, and a shield attached to the lower end of said bushing and encircling said guide post thereby preventing foreign matter from reaching the outer sur# face of said guide post.

2. In a die set, a pair of relatively reciprocable die holding members, a bushing carriedby one of said members and a guide pin carried by the other and slidable inthe bushing, a pair of telescoping sleeve members, one fixed at its upper end to the upper of saidmembers and the other fixed at its lower end to the lower of said members, said `telescoping sleeve members being in surround'- ing relation with respect to said guide pin and bushing, and a flexible collapsible sleeve fixed at its opposite ends to said telescoping sleeve members, to completely enclose said guide pin and bushing.

3. In a die set, a pair of relatively reciprocable die holding members, a bushing carried by one of said members and a guide pin carried by the other and slidable in the bushing, a pair of telescoping sleeve members, one fixed to each of said members, said telescoping sleeve members being in surrounding relation with respect to said guide pin and bushing, and a flexible collapsible sleeve of air-permeable filter material fixed at its opposite ends to said telescoping sleeve members to completely enclose said guide pin and bushing.

4. In a die set, a pair of relatively reciprocable die holding members, a lbushing carried by one of said members and a guide pin carried by the other and slidable in `the bushing, a pair of telescoping sleeve members, one fixed to each of said members, said telescoping sleeve members being in surrounding relation with respect to said guide pin and bushing, and a flexible collapsible sleeve xed at its opposite ends to said telescoping sleeve members to completely enclose said guide pin and bushing, one of said telescoping sleeve members comprising an air filter adapted to pass air radially therethrough to admit clean air to the space thus enclosed.

5. In a die set, a pair of relatively reciprocable die holding members, a` bushing carried by one of said 7 members and a guide pin ycarried by the other and slidable in the bushing, a rigid sleeve member fixed at one end to one of said members and a telescoping rigid sleeve member fixed to the other of said members, said sleeve members being in surrounding relation with respect to said guide pin and bushing, and a iiexible collapsible sleeve fixed at its opposite ends to said sleeve members to completely enclose said guide pin and bushing, one of said sleeve members comprising an air-permeable lter element to permit passage of clean air to and from said enclosure.

6. In a die set, a pair of relatively reciprocable die holding members, a bushing carried by one of said members and a guide pin carried by the other and slidable in the bushing, and iiexible, axially compressible and expansible sleeve means iixed to said members in surrounding relation with respect to said guide pin and bushing to enclose said guide pin and bushing, the enclosure thus formed including a porous air iiltering portion permitting air to enter and pass from `the enclosure without admission of foreign matter.

7. In a die set, a pair of relatively reciprocable die holding members, a bushing carried by one of said members and a guide pin carried by the other and slidable in the bushing, and flexible axially compressible and expansible sleeve means xed to said members in surrounding relation with respect to said guide pin and bushing to enclose said guide pin and bushing, said sleeve means being of a porous air ltering material permitting air to enter and pass from the enclosure thus formed without admission of foreign matter.

8. In a die set, a pair of relatively reciprocable die holding members, one of said members having slide bearing means, a guide pin carried by the other member and slidable in said bearing means upon reciprocation of said members, and flexible, axially compressible and expansible sleeve means xed to said members in surrounding rrelation with respect to said guide pin to enclose the same, said sleeve means including a porous air filtering portion permitting air to enter and pass from the enclosure thus formed Without admission of foreign matter.

9. In a die set, a pair of relatively reciprocable die holding members, a bushing carried by one of said members and a guide pin carried by the other and slidable in the bushing, a sleeve member iixed at one end to said other member, said sleeve member being in surroundg ing relation with respect to said guide pin, and a exible collapsible sleeve of porous air-filtering material fixed at its opposite ends to said sleeve member and said bushing to completely enclose the slide bearing portion of said guide pin and bushing.

10. In a die set, a pair of relatively reciprocable die Vholding members, a bushing carried Iby one of said members and a guide pin carried by the other and slidable in the bushing, a exible collapsible sleeve member of porous air-filtering material ixed at one end to said other member and at its opposite end to said bushing to completely enclose the slide bearing portion of said guide pin and bushing.

11. In a die set, a pair of relatively reciprocable die holding members, one of said members including a Abushing and the other of said members having a guide pin carried thereby and slidable in said bushing, and flexible, axially compressible and expansible sleeve means xed to said members in surrounding relation with respect to said guide pin and bushing to enclose the same, the enclosure thus formed including a porous air iiltering portion permitting air to enter and pass from the enclosure without admission of foreign matter.

12. In a die set, a pair of relatively reciprocable die holding members, a guide pin fixed to one of said members and projecting toward the other, said other die member having a bearing opening for slidably receiving said guide pin, and flexible axially compressible and expansible sleeve means lixed to said members in surrounding relation with respect to said guide pin to entirely enclose said guide pin and its entrance to said bearing opening, the enclosure thus formed including a porous air filtering portion permitting air to enter and pass from the enclosure Without admission of foreign matter.

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